This invention relates to devices for clamping wires, ropes or cables, being of the type having a body, at least one bore through the body for an end of a wire (or the like, such as a cable, hereafter referred to simply as wire), at least one channel in the body converging at an acute angle and into communication with the bore towards an inlet end of the bore, an abutment at the end of the channel remote from the inlet end of the bore, and a wedge movable along the channel between the abutment and the region of communication with the bore, (and usually with a coil compression spring between the abutment and the wedge) whereby, upon attempted withdrawal of an inserted wire through the inlet end of the bore, the wedge forces the wire into frictional engagement with the wall of the bore opposite the channel.
Tensioning adjustment of an inserted wire can be effected by pulling the wire end emerging from the other (outlet) end of the bore, causing release of the grip of the wedge until that pull is released and the wedge can again exert a force on the wire.
The device with a single bore, channel, abutment, and wedge (with optional spring) may be a terminal device for a wire, or it may be provided with another bore, channel, abutment, and wedge (with optional spring), with the inlet end of the second bore at the opposite end of the body to the inlet end of the first bore, to form a connector for oppositely directed wire ends, and the two bores are preferably disposed in close side-by-side lengthwise relationship, with the regions of communication between the respective channels and bores closely adjacent each other, and with the wall portion therebetween capable of localised distortion under the forces exerted by the wedges through the inserted wires, to increase the frictional contact of the wires with the respective bores and/or allow the wires to come into contact with each other.